Appleton Baseball Hall of Fame inductees

Mar. 24, 2006 6:03 PM

Harold Baines

Outfielder

Appleton Foxes (1977)

Baines was the first overall selection of the 1977 draft and then went on to hit .261 with five home runs for the Foxes that year. He made his major league debut in 1980 and is considered one of the top players in White Sox history. A six-time all-star, Baines appeared in the World Series in 1990 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. He has a career batting average of .289 with 2,855 hits.

Kevin Bell

Third baseman

Appleton Foxes (1974, ’75)

Bell batted .279 with 23 home runs and 101 RBI in his one-plus seasons with the Foxes. He wound up spending six seasons in the major leagues, beginning with the Chicago White Sox in 1976 and ending with the Oakland Athletics in ’82. In 297 career games in the major leagues, Bell posted a .222 batting average, 13 home runs and 64 RBI.

John Boles

Manager

Appleton Foxes (1983)

Boles was named Midwest League manager of the year after leading the Foxes to an 87-50 record and a league championship in 1983. After his one-year stint in Appleton, Boles went on to manage two more years in the Chicago White Sox organization before working for the Kansas City Royals and Montreal Expos. In 1991, Boles was named vice president of player development for the Florida Marlins and eventually became the team’s field manager midway through the 1996 season.

Daryl Boston

Outfielder

Appleton Foxes (1982)

Boston led the Foxes in homers (15), triples (nine), RBI (77) and games played (139) in helping Appleton capture the Midwest League championship. Selected by the Chicago White Sox with the seventh overall pick in the 1981 draft, he opened the 1982 season with the Foxes and went on to play in 11 major league seasons with the White Sox, New York Mets, Colorado and New York Yankees.

Britt Burns

Pitcher

Appleton Foxes (1978)

Burns was part of a 1978 Foxes squad that finished 101-40 and captured the Midwest League championship. In six games with the Foxes, he recorded 28 strikeouts, walked just two and wound up 3-2 with a 2.40 ERA. Burns pitched eight seasons for the Chicago White Sox and had a career strikeout to walks ratio greater than two to one. In 1981, Burns was named to the American League All-Star team despite being 22 years old. He finished with 70 career victories and eventually had to retire due to injuries.

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John Cangelosi

Outfielder

Appleton Foxes (1983)

Cangelosi played for the Midwest League champion Foxes in 1983, leading the club in hits, runs scored and stolen bases. His 87 steals remains an Appleton baseball record. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fourth round in 1982 and went on to play for seven teams as part of a 13-year big league career, finishing with a .250 career batting average, 12 homers, 134 RBI and 154 steals. Cangelosi's best season was his rookie campaign with the White Sox in 1986, when he collected career highs in runs (65), hits (103), doubles (16), RBI (32), stolen bases (50) and games played (137). He also earned a World Series ring in 1997 as a member of the Florida Marlins.

Dean Chance

Pitcher

Fox Cities Foxes (1960)

As an 18-year-old hurler, Chance went 12-9 with 145 strikeouts in helping the Foxes win the Midwest League championship in 1960. His major league career was highlighted by the 1964 season in which he went 20-9 with a 1.65 ERA and 11 shutouts for the Los Angeles Angels en route to winning the Cy Young Award. Chance also won 20 games for the Minnesota Twins in 1967. In August of that year, Chance pitched a five-inning perfect game against the Boston Red Sox and a nine-inning no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians.

Brian Downing

Outfielder, catcher

Appleton Foxes (1971)

As a member of the 1971 Foxes, Downing hit .246 with three home runs and 22 RBI. He began a 20-year major league career with the Chicago White Sox in 1973, spending five seasons with the White Sox, 13 seasons with the California Angels and two seasons with the Texas Rangers. In 1979, he batted .326 with 12 homers and 75 RBI, landing a spot on the American League all-star team. His career stats include 2,099 hits, a .267 batting average, 275 home runs and 1,073 RBI.

Terry Forster

Pitcher

Appleton Foxes (1970)

Forster pitched in 10 games for the Foxes in 1970, going 6-1 with a 1.33 ERA as a starter. He earned a spot on the Chicago White Sox roster the very next season and went on to enjoy a 16-year big league career. Forster saved a league-high 24 games in 1974, earning the Fireman of the Year award. His career stats include 54 wins, 127 saves and a 3.23 ERA. He is also a career .397 hitter.

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Mike Garcia

Pitcher

Appleton Papermakers (1942)

Garcia posted a 10-10 record for the Papermakers before anchoring a 1954 Cleveland Indians pitching staff that many pundits consider as one of the best in baseball history. In ’54, Garcia went 19-8 with a 2.64 ERA. The three-time all-star finished with a career mark of 142-98 which included a pair of 20-win seasons and 27 shutouts.

Adrian Garrett

Manager

Appleton Foxes (1982)

Garrett guided the Foxes to an 81-59 mark and the Midwest League title -- the first in a string of three successive league championships for Appleton. He spent eight seasons in the big leagues, playing with Atlanta, the Chicago Cubs, Oakland and California. His stint with the Foxes was his first as a manager following his playing career.

Pat Gillick

Pitcher

Fox Cities Foxes (1960)

In his one season with the Foxes, Gillick went 11-2 with a 1.91 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 114 innings. He made his way to the Class AAA level before accepting a front office position with the Houston Astros in 1963. His career includes being named coordinator of player development and scouting for the New York Yankees, executive vice president of the Toronto Blue Jays, general manager of the Baltimore Orioles and executive vice president and general manager of the Seattle Mariners. His Blue Jays clubs earned back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and ’93. Gillick was named Major League Baseball’s executive of the year in 1985 and 2001 and American League executive of the year in 1993.

Rich "Goose" Gossage

Pitcher

Appleton Foxes (1970, ’71, ’74)

Gossage was named Midwest League player of the year in 1971 when he posted an 18-2 record and a 1.83 ERA in 25 starts while leading the Foxes to a division championship. He went on to become one of the most feared relievers in major league baseball history. In 22 major league seasons, Gossage finished with 125 wins and 310 saves and appeared in 1,054 games. Gossage led the American League in saves three times and won the AL Fireman of the Year award in 1975 and ’78. In 1977, he set the National League record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher with 151 and finished with more strikeouts than innings pitched five times.

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Roland Hemond

General Manager

Chicago White Sox (1970-85)

A staunch supporter of professional baseball in Appleton, Hemond was a three-time winner of Major League Baseball’s executive of the year. His career in baseball began in 1951, and he became general manager of the White Sox in 1970. As general manager of the White Sox, Hemond would send top prospects to Appleton and do anything he could to help the Appleton Baseball Club Inc. achieve success. He went on to work in the commissioner’s office for two years before becoming general manager of the Baltimore Orioles in 1988. He left that position in 1995 and became senior executive vice president of the Arizona Diamondbacks before returning to the White Sox as executive advisor to the general manager in 2001.

LaMarr Hoyt

Pitcher

Appleton Foxes (1978)

Hoyt led the Foxes to a 101-40 record and a Midwest League title in 1978, finishing with a league-best 18 wins. The right-hander completed 13 of the 27 games he started and posted an ERA of 2.90. Just one year after playing in Appleton, Hoyt made his debut for the Chicago White Sox. In 1983, Hoyt helped the White Sox capture the American League West Division championship, going 24-10 and earning AL Cy Young Award honors. Hoyt’s big league career ended following the 1986 season. He finished with 98 wins overall and recorded a career ERA of 3.99.

Bart Johnson

Pitcher, outfielder

Appleton Foxes (1968, ’69, ’72)

Johnson, considered one of the most versatile players in Foxes history, led Appleton to the Midwest League title in 1969, finishing with a 16-4 record, a 2.17 ERA and a league-best 200 strikeouts. He played with the Chicago White Sox and recorded 12 wins, 14 saves, 153 strikeouts and a 2.93 ERA in 1971 before being slowed by injury. In 1972, Johnson returned to the Foxes as an outfielder, hitting .329 and leading the Foxes to a division championship. He later pitched again for the White Sox.

Lamar Johnson

First baseman

Appleton Foxes (1970-72)

Johnson was one of the premier sluggers in the Midwest League during his stint with the Foxes. He hit .269 with 18 homers and 97 RBI in 1971 and .313 with 26 homers and 89 RBI in ’72. He led the Foxes to Northern Division championships in both ’71 and ’72 and went on to play nine seasons in the major leagues for both the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers. In 792 big league games, Johnson posted career totals of 122 doubles, 12 triples, 64 homers and 381 RBI, along with a .287 batting average. Johnson enjoyed arguably his best season in 1979 as a member of the White Sox when he hit .309 with 12 homers and 74 RBI. He retired following the 1982 season and later went on to become a hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners.

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Grover "Deacon" Jones

First baseman

Fox Cities Foxes (1966, ’67, ’73)

Jones had what many consider to be the best season of any player to have ever played professional baseball in Appleton when he posted Midwest League bests in batting average (.353), on-base percentage (.484) and extra base hits (58) in leading the Foxes to the 1966 league championship. The following season, Jones was a player/coach and then returned to the Foxes in 1973 to serve as their manager -- becoming the first black manager in Midwest League history. Jones played three seasons for the Chicago White Sox.

Ron Kittle

Outfielder

Appleton Foxes (1979, ’80)

Kittle spent parts of the 1979 and ’80 seasons with the Foxes. He appeared in 35 games in 1979, hitting .258 with two home runs. In 1980, he appeared in 61 games, clubbing 12 homers and hitting .316. In 1983, Kittle won American League Rookie of the Year honors as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Helping the White Sox claim the AL West Division crown in ’83, Kittle hit 35 homers and drove in 100 runs. Kittle played 10 seasons in the big leagues, suiting up for the White Sox, the New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians and the Baltimore Orioles.

Gordie Lund

Manager

Appleton Foxes (1974, ’75, ’77, ’78, ’80)

Lund guided the Foxes to a five-season record of 350-304. His 350 wins are the most in Appleton professional baseball history in the 20th century. In 1978, Lund led the Foxes to the Midwest League Championship and a 97-40 record – best in Appleton history.

Carlos May

Outfielder

Appleton Foxes (1967)

May hit .338 with 10 homers and 48 RBI in 63 games for the Foxes in 1967. He wound up spending 10 seasons in the major leagues. In his official rookie season of 1969, May was injured when a mortar misfired as a Marine reservist on duty. At the time, he was batting .281 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI. May came back to play another six seasons with the White Sox before being traded to the New York Yankees. His career stats include 1,127 hits, a .274 batting average, 90 home runs and 536 RBI.

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Bill Melton

Third baseman

Fox Cities Foxes (1966)

Melton hit .284 with 93 hits and 12 home runs in helping the 1966 Foxes claim the Midwest League championship. He broke into the major leagues in 1968 with the Chicago White Sox and then hit 23 home runs in his first full season in ’69. Melton hit 33 home runs apiece in 1970 and ’71 and remained a member of the White Sox through the ’75 season. He joined the California Angels in 1976 before finishing his career with the Cleveland Indians in ’77.

Glen Miller

Farm Director

Chicago White Sox

Miller, a native of Kaukauna, Wis., is considered the man most responsible for minor league baseball staying in Appleton in the mid 1960s. As farm director for the Chicago White Sox, Miller arranged an affiliation between Appleton and the Sox when the Baltimore Orioles ended their affiliation with Appleton following the 1965 season. The White Sox affiliation lasted 21 seasons and the Foxes won seven Midwest League championships and four division titles during that span thanks in large part to Miller, who made sure that the Foxes were provided with quality minor league players and managers.

John "Boog" Powell

First baseman

Fox Cities Foxes (1960)

Powell hit .312 with 100 RBI in leading the Foxes to the 1960 Midwest League championship. A feared power hitter in the major leagues, Powell belted 339 career home runs from 1962-76 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.606) in 1964. The American League most valuable player in 1970, Powell played a key role in leading the Baltimore Orioles to a World Series title that season.

Jerry Reinsdorf

Chairman

Chicago White Sox (1981-present)

Reinsdorf headed the limited partnership that purchased the White Sox in 1981. The Appleton Foxes were a White Sox affiliate from 1966-86 and captured three straight Midwest League crowns (1982-84) with Reinsdorf at the helm. The White Sox won the 2005 World Series, the first for the club since 1917. Reinsdorf is also chairman of the Chicago Bulls, which claimed six NBA championships in the 1990s.

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Cal Ripken Sr.

Catcher, manager

Fox Cities Foxes (1960), Appleton Foxes (1962)

Ripken Sr. caught for the Foxes in 1960 and then returned in 1962 as a catcher and manager. In 1960, Ripken Sr. hit a career-high nine home runs, while hitting .273 with 41 runs. In 1962, he guided the Foxes to a 61-63 mark and hit .273 in 143 at-bats. Ripken Sr. spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization and managed the Orioles in 1987 and again briefly in ’88. In 1987, Ripken Sr. became the first father in major league history to manage two sons – future Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. and second baseman Billy – at the same time.

Bill Veeck

Owner

Chicago White Sox (1975-81)

Veeck, also a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, is considered one of the most flamboyant and innovative owners in baseball history. Among his most memorable stunts came in 1951 as owner of the St. Louis Browns, when he used 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel as a pinch-hitter. Veeck also owned the Cleveland Indians and twice served as owner of the White Sox -- once from 1958 through 1961 and again from 1975 through 1981. His second stint overseeing the White Sox coincided with Chicago serving as the major league parent club to the Appleton Foxes.

Zoilo Versalles

Shortstop

Fox Cities Foxes (1959)

Versalles hit .278 with nine home runs for the Foxes as an 18-year-old shortstop before being promoted to the Washington Senators later in 1959. By the 1960s, he was a major league all-star, winning three Gold Glove Awards and leading the league in triples three times. He was named the American League MVP in 1965, leading the Minnesota Twins to the World Series. That year, Versalles led the league with 126 runs scored, 45 doubles and 12 triples.

Greg Walker

First baseman

Appleton Foxes (1980)

Walker was the Midwest League’s top defensive first baseman in 1980 and led the league in RBI with 98. He went on to enjoy a successful career with the Chicago White Sox, hitting 98 career home runs from 1983-87.

Earl Weaver

Manager

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Fox Cities Foxes (1961, ’62)

Weaver managed the Foxes to a 149-118 record in the two seasons he was in charge. The 1960 Foxes won the Midwest League championship. He later achieved enormous success as manager of the Baltimore Orioles, winning a World Series in 1970 and leading the team to the World Series in ’69, ’71 and ’79. He earned American League manager of the year honors three times and was inducted into the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Kenny Williams

Outfielder

Appleton Foxes (1983-84)

Williams hit .231 with 12 homers and 53 RBI in helping the Foxes win the 1983 Midwest League title. He played in 38 games with the Foxes in 1984 before being promoted to the Double-A level. The Berkeley, Calif., native went on to enjoy a six-year big league career, with his best season coming in 1987 when he hit .281 with 11 homers and 50 RBI in 116 games as a member of the Chicago White Sox. He was named general manager of the White Sox in 2001 and led them to the World Series championship in 2005 – the club’s first title since 1917.